Welcome to the City of Stockton's Building Division web page.  The Building Division is responsible for the enforcement of codes, laws, ordinances, and regulations pertaining to building construction and remodeling within the City of Stockton.   Enforcement is accomplished by accepting applications, checking plans, processing building permits, performing inspections, and responding to complaints.

The Building Division also provides staff support for the Housing/Building Board of Appeals and the Handicapped Access Board of Appeals.

This web page is designed to provide an effective and efficient way to answer frequently asked questions, and provide general information about the Building Division, the process for obtaining building permits, building fees, and standard requirements.  However, if you do not find what you are looking for, or have additional questions, please feel free to contact us at (209) 937-8561 or e-mail us at cdd@ci.stockton.ca.us.

A fees page and fee calculator have been developed to assist you with calculating building permit fees.

Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) Building Restrictions

New Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) have been issued for San Joaquin County and will become effective on October 16, 2009.  Building restrictions apply in areas designated as Special Flood Hazard Areas (Zone A).

• SFHA Building Restrictions Flow Chart (PDF - 1 page)
• Building Permit Application Disclosure (PDF - 2 pages)
• SFHA Building Plans Stamp (PDF - 1 page)
• FEMA Building Restrictions - Substantial Improvement/Damage (PDF - 9 pages)

Current Building Codes

Projects are reviewed for compliance with the following construction codes:

Stockton Municipal Code, Title 15

California State Codes: Building, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Energy, and Fire

California Building Codes are available for viewing online at www.bsc.ca.gov

• 2007 California Building Code – as amended per Title 15 of the Stockton Municipal Code 

• 2007 California Existing Building Code 

• 2007 California Mechanical Code 

• 2007 California Plumbing Code 

• 2007 California Electrical Code – as amended per Stockton Municipal Code

• 2007 California Fire Code– as amended per Stockton Municipal Code 

• 2008 California Energy Code 

       Design Criteria:

             Structural Design Criteria

             General:

• Soils Report required per CBC section 1802.2.7
• Wind Speed – 85 mph (3-second gust), Exposure C
• Seismic Design Category – as determined by site conditions.  The USGS has a program available at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/hazmaps/design/ which may be used to determine the seismic parameters based on the latitude and longitude of the jobsite.  There are numerous online map programs which may be used to obtain the latitude and longitude.

             Conventional Construction:

• Seismic Design Category - D
• Braced walls per CBC section 2308.12 and table 2308.12.4  (0.50 < SDS < 0.75)

             Residential Additions:

• East of I-5 – use 1500 psf for soil bearing per CBC table 1804.2
• West of I-5 – use 1000 psf for soil bearing

             Other Design Criteria

             Energy Compliance – located in Climate Zone 12

             Rainfall design is based on 2 inches of rainfall per hour